Speaking as someone who is currently curing guanciale, and lardo with fennel pollen, in the basement, that pig dish on the menu looks awesome. The daughter is not (yet) such a big fan of any part of the pig beyond regular old bacon. Maybe I could get takeout on the way to the airport!

She loved a dinner we had at Crispo a few years back. And while I'd keep the porterhouse at Peter Luger's on my list, she'd want something healthier. If you're familiar with the Chicago restaurant scene at all, the Rick Bayless restaurants are a family favorite.

This weekend I am helping my older daughter move into an apartment for an internship in Manhattan for the summer. I promised my wife and daughter alike that my sole focus would be to focus on making this a successful move. They both knew I was lying, and that dinner on Saturday night will be a priority. I am from out of town but know a fair bit about the New York restaurant scene, so I want to pose a challenge to those of you who no doubt know a bunch more about it than me. My three most memorable meals in New York were: eating at Trattoria da Alfredo on Hudson Street, as a starving college student in the 1970's (my cousin, a dress designer, would take me); my wedding reception at the Box Tree in 1988 (the memorable dish was their dessert, a vacharin, that was made up to be our wedding cake); and taking my younger daughter to about 7 or 8 places in Chinatown, about ten years ago, where we rated the dumplings (Joe's Shanghai won, as I recall; New Green Bo was a close second). If you've stuck with me to this point my request is this: where should I take my older daughter to have a great New York meal, and memory? As you can see from the other experiences, I am not worried about a particular experience. In a city that sets the standard for great food, I'm curious what any of you might offer up as truly great. Thanks.